The Weekly Catch Up

She turned my story into something I could see.

There’s a map of Martha’s Vineyard included at the beginning of my novel Our Last Vineyard Summer. It was beautifully drawn by Simon & Schuster assistant editor Sarah Schlick who worked on editing my novel alongside talented senior editor Hannah Braaten. I’d heard from Hannah that Sarah, in addition to a wordsmith, was an incredible artist—she’d illustrated book covers for Gallery before. So I asked Sarah if she might be willing to make my characters come to life in a picture? Would she be willing to hand draw an interpretation of the Whiting sisters, what she imagined their summer house to be, and some of the essential locations in the novel?

I decided I would make postcards from the hand-drawn images, and readers could leave a comment on a newsletter post to win a handwritten note from one of the characters in my book. (This is that post!) Sarah worked on her drawings for a few months, and when she emailed me the outcome, I was blown away by all of her insight and detail. Most writers never see their books made into movies, so it was super cool to see these beautiful women, my very own creations, looking back at me.

I asked Sarah a few questions to help me understand her process and get a greater understanding of how on earth she was able to capture the vibe of these three sisters and their mother so brilliantly. You just have to read this. It’s so fascinating.

Sarah, I love these drawings so much. Tell me. How long have you been drawing?
Thank you! I’ve been drawing, painting, and making art for as long as I can remember! I grew up with a deep, innate love for it from a young age and was lucky to have wonderfully supportive parents who always encouraged my creativity.

How did you go about translating my words in the book to these images?
I started with another close read of OUR LAST VINEYARD SUMMER, lingering over the images and collecting fragments of character descriptions on a spare sheet of watercolor paper. Once I had my notes together, I began poring over reference photos, hunting for details that felt evocative of a given character—hair, eyes, posture, expression, etc.

I spent a long time on this part—it was important to me that the women felt believably related, but also like unique individuals (especially since three of the four are blond and blue-eyed!) And of course, I wanted to infuse a bit of ‘70s flair into all of their looks, but still with a certain timelessness, since I think your writing so beautifully balances these near-historical settings with contemporary themes. The final portraits are a composite of many different inspirations, as well as a bit of my own interpretation.

Bottom right: The finished portrait of matriarch Virgie Whiting in Our Last Vineyard Summer. I love how she came out!

In addition to the portraits, the Whiting house is so central to the novel that I knew I had to tackle it. I wanted to imagine how it might have looked in its prime on a sunlit, blue-skied day of summer, hydrangeas bursting by the front gate. In my mind, the girls are waiting just out of view, ready to rush inside for their mom’s famous spaghetti and clams or maybe just to enjoy a slow evening on the porch.

At Fuller Street Beach you can find Edgartown Lighthouse. There are a few critical conversations that take place between the characters here.

The Edgartown Lighthouse is also such a touchpoint for the characters—an iconic feature of the island, and a beacon out their back window. In many ways, it felt like an extension of Virgie herself—a guiding force amid shifting storms in their lives.

Senatorial, of course, is the sailboat on which Betsy grew up sailing with her father. I painted it at sunset because I wanted to capture it the way that Betsy experiences it—glowing with nostalgia and a sense of horizon-less possibility.

Can you share details of your process? Do you start with pencil, then use paints? Do you listen to music? How much research?
I start with a pencil sketch, but most of the finished product comes from discovering new details as I paint. I’ll put on some of my favorite music to settle into a painting flow—it helps me get lost in the brushstrokes, and to power through the more complex sections. I work mostly with gouache paint, which handles fluidly like watercolor but layers a bit differently. It’s silky, more richly pigmented, and often more opaque. I work in sections, blocking in the skin tones and refining the details later on. There’s always a moment after I paint the eyes that I sense a flicker of the character coming to life for the first time…I love this feeling.

This is Sarah’s take on the Whiting summer cottage in Edgartown. She captures exactly what I was envisioning—she even gets the shutter color correct. Essex Green by Benjamin Moore is everywhere in Edgartown!

That’s so fascinating because I feel the same flicker when it comes to writing. Which character was hardest/most challenging to capture?
I spent the longest time contemplating and collecting references for Virgie. As the matriarch of the family, and in many ways the heart of the novel, I knew I needed to get her right. She’s elegant and quietly powerful, a feminist icon and complicated mother. She’s a woman of her time and yet also a voice for generations to come (and I think she would be horrified by the current state of women’s rights in this country). I was moved by her capacity to love and forgive, her courage and creativity. She’s steadfast in her desire to instill in her daughters a fierce sense of self-worth and potential while navigating her own flaws and insecurities. I hope that readers find a spark of this understated strength when they look into her eyes here.

I love that. Thank you so much, Sarah! Where can people see more of your work?
My contact details and much of my ever-evolving portfolio can be found on my website, www.sarahschlick.com.

Okay, now for the fun part! If you could receive a postcard from any fictional character (besides the one in my novel, of course!), who would it be and if you want to be specific, what would it say? Leave a note in the comments below and I’ll send you a postcard with one of Sarah’s paintings from one of the characters in my book. How fun is that?

Novel News

I had the best event with Martha Hall Kelly at the Brewster Book Shop. Not only did Martha and I had the best time talking about our Vineyard novels, our writing process and our shared interest in history, I felt like I made a lovely author friend. Those are the best talks…when you walk away with a new pal to reach out to when you’re in the writing trenches.

Also, I was so excited because I got home and discovered that Woman’s World named Our Last Vineyard Summer a top historical fiction pick and I’m in dreamy company. Think Beatriz Williams, Elin Hilderbrand, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Susan Meissner. This was very exciting for me!

Media Diary

What I’ve Been Watching: I just started the Billy Joel documentary on HBO and it’s so authentic and insightful I can’t wait to get back to it. Highly recommend.

What I’ve Been Reading: Jodi Picoult’s By Any Other Name. Such a great read. I saw Jodi speak recently and my friend Carin gave me this to read when my book got rained on yesterday. So far I’m hooked! She’s a brilliant writer.

What I’m Listening to: I just finished Meg Waite Clayton’s Typewriter Beach—and I really loved it. It’s a fab audiobook! Now I need a new audiobook. Any recommendations?

Sarah’s gorgeous take on the Whiting sailboat.

Have a great week, everyone!!! I have a great Author Confessions coming up this week! xo Also, I have to tell you about the pond where I’ve been staying. Gorgeous!